Chickens Freezing?

[Geckolady]

On Saturday I bought three pullets that are about ready to start laying and a rooster. They are in a commercial, two-story chicken coop. It will get down to 20 degrees F tonight. I was talking to a friend who said they could freeze to death in that cold. I found some thick cardboard and put in on the bottom of the top part, and covered it with wood shavings. They are cuckoo leghorns. I don't want to lose them. Will they be OK overnight? The rooster has a nice tall comb. At about what temperature should I put vaseline on it? Worried first time chicken keeper here.

 

[bobbi-j]

If they are mature, fully feathered and healthy, your chickens will be fine. However, they will be cold and uncomfortable if their coop is too small and doesn’t have good ventilation. The most important thing in the winter is to keep them dry and out of drafts (drafts are different than ventilation). It has been below 20 for several nights here already, and I haven’t even closed the windows in the coop yet.

 

[21hens-incharge]

We are hitting lows at zero here and many times before we have been well below zero.

I second the ventilated draft free dry coop as the key.

Can you post pics of your coop so we can see the vents?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thank you! I'll cover the door.

Leave a small strip uncovered at the bottom. That coop doesn't have much up high venting so that bit at the bottom is important in order for warm air to rise up and out taking moisture with it.

 

[Geckolady]

Leave a small strip uncovered at the bottom. That coop doesn't have much up high venting so that bit at the bottom is important in order for warm air to rise up and out taking moisture with it.

Done! I used a double layer of cardboard. Thank you! I love them already. They are so sweet!

 

[aart]

I already have the incubator and egg turner.

First, get a bigger coop.

 

[Geckolady]

Including the feed?

How old is the feed?
There should be a mill date on the bag, the sewn in tape on the bottom or the tag. That is the date it was made. Feed ages and looses nutritional value as it ages.
Feed that is 6 months past mill date is pretty much spent and should not be fed.

Buy the absolute freshest feed you can get a hold of. Roosters do not need added calcium and it can cause kidney issues. An all flock, flock raiser or even chick crumbles are often fed to flocks with mixed age birds, non laying hens and roosters. Just keep oyster shell available. Those that need it will eat it.

It's 16% layer pellets by DuMor, and I bought it about 10 days before I got the chickens. Tractor Supply has a pretty good turnover in their feed. I read on the boards here about a chicken feed shortage and bought some ahead of getting chickens, since I didn't want to risk getting chickens and not being able to find feed. If I didn't get any chickens at the show, then I was planning to get some from another place.

 

[21hens-incharge]

OK, I was keeping water in front of them 24/7. I'll stop having it in there when they're bedded down for the night. It would be nice if someone could invent a way to keep the water from freezing sans electricity.

In your coop I would recommend only having water in the run. Even in my big 8'x14' structure all water is OUTSIDE. I do not want any extra moisture in the coop.

 

[Geckolady]

First, get a bigger coop.

Already in the works.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ant-should-i-use.1417576/page-2#post-23286857

 

[Geckolady]

I just ran outside to take some pictures of it. Sorry it's dark. And this is what they look like. I bought them at a chicken show on Saturday.